Man&#39;s shorts



D. WISE MANS SHORTS Feb. 22, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 26, 1952 l4 INVEN T'OR Dan L6 Z Wzse 5 flmwz ATTO/Er/E Y6- D. WISE MANS SHORTS Feb. 22, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 26, 1952 INVENZOR. flan zeZ WZ/S 6 FWZWfiMm v 19mm ATTORNEYS- United States Patent Ofiice 2,702,388 Patented Feb. 22, 1955 MANS SHORTS Daniel Wise, Reading, Pa.

Application September 26, 1952, Serial No. 311,581

1 Claim. (Cl. 2-224) This invention relates to undergarments, and more particularly to mens undergarments, known as shorts or briefs.

The main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved undergarment which is simple in construction, which is comfortable to wear and which can be manufactured at low cost.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved mans undergarment which maintains a snug body fit, which provides a comfortable body supporting effect, which may be constructed of one-piece tubular knitted fabric which is stretchable transversely but relatively inelastic vertically, and which is provided with a more securely closed fly opening than garments of this type heretofore known in the art.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claim, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of an improved mans undergarment constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the undergarment of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the tubular knitted main body of the undergarment of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of a pair of crotch pieces employed in the undergarment of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is an enlarged cross sectional detail view taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a front elevational view of a modified form of mens undergarment constructed in accordance with L the present invention.

Figure 9 is a front elevational view of the tubular knitted main body of the undergarment of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a side elevational view of one of the crotch pieces employed in the undergarment of Figures 8 and 9.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1 through 7, 11 designates a mans undergarment of the type known as briefs, said undergarment comprising a tubular knitted main body 12 and the respective crotch pieces 13 and 14. As shown in Figure 3, the main body 12 comprises a section of tubular knitted fabric having the rows of knitted loops thereof extending parallel to the axis of the section, whereby the section is relatively elastic horizontally but is relatively inelastic vertically, as viewed in Figure 3. The lower front portion of the main body 12 is cut out to define a horizontal, straight middle edge portion 15 and respective arcuate side edge portions 16 and 17. The depending lower rear portion of the body 12 is shaped to define a middle horizontal straight edge portion 18 and respective inclined side edge portions 19 and 20.

The crotch piece 13 is formed of knitted fabric material having its rows of loops extending in the same direction as the rows of loops of the main body 12 and is formed at its opposite sides with the arcuate curved edges 21 and 22, as shown in Figure 4. The top edge 23 of the crotch piece 13 is horizontal, as is the bottom edge 24 thereof. As shown in Figure 4, the upper portion of the crotch piece 13 is displaced laterally to the right relative to the vertical center line of the piece. Thus, the bottom edge 24 of the crotch piece 13 is substantially the same in length as the bottom edge 18 of main section 12 whereas the top edge 23 of crotch piece 13 is shorter than the edge 15 of section 12 and is arranged so that the edge 23 may be united with the right hand portion of the edge 15, as viewed in Figure 3. Thus, the crotch piece 13 is secured between the edges 18 and 15 of the main section 12 in any suitable manner, as by stitching or the like with the lower edge 24 of the crotch piece secured coextensively with the lower edge 18 of the rear portion of the main section 12,- whereas the top edge 23 of the crotch piece is secured to the right hand portion of the horizontal front edge 15 of said main section. The crotch piece 14 is similar in shape to the crotch piece 13 but is reversed when it is secured to the main section 12, whereby the lower edge 24 of crotch piece 14 is secured coextensively with the lower edge 18 of the main section, and is stitched together with the lower edge 24 of crotch piece 13 to the lower edge 18 of said main section, and the top edge 23' of the crotch piece 14 is stitched to the left hand side of the horizontal edge portion of main section 12, as viewed in Figure 3. The crotch pieces are thus fastened to the main section 12 in fully overlapping relationship at their connections to the lower rear edge 18 of the main section but are displaced laterally relative to each other and only partially overlap at their connections with the lower front edge portion 15 of the main body.

When thus secured to the main body 12, the arcuate notch 21 at the side edge of the crotch piece 14 defines a leg opening relative to the inclined edge portion 20 of the rear of the main body 12. The aforesaid leg opening may be reinforced by stitching a suitable strip of seam binding or the like, shown at 25, to the edges of the leg opening. Similarly, the arcuate notch 21 of the crotch piece 13 defines an opening relative to the inclined rear edge portion 19 of the main body 12 and the edge of said opening is reinforced by suitable inelastic seambinding material 25, as in the case of the previously described leg opening.

Designated respectively at 26 and 27 are respective relatively inelastic flexible strips of tape or similar binding material secured to the main body 12 between the lower front edge portions 16 and 17 and the top edge portion thereof, the strips 26 and 27 being inclined upwardly and inwardly towards each other, as shown in Figure l, and being connected by an additional inelastic strip 28 extending horizontally between the lower end portions of the inelastic strips 26 and 27 and stitched over the seams between the edges 23 and 23' of the crotch pieces and the horizontal edge portion 15 of the main body 12. Thus, the strips 26, 27 and 28 define a substantially triangular inelastic portion located immediately above the crotch portion of the undergarment.

Designated at 29 is a relatively wide strip of fabric material stitched onto the top edge 30 of the main body 12 and defining a waist band for the undergarment.

If so desired, the waist band 29 may be made partially elastic, and may include elastic sections such as are in conventional undergarments to allow the waist band to elastically grip the waist portion of the wearer.

The arcuate edges 22 and 22 of the crotch pieces 13 and 14 are covered by inelastic strips of seam binding, such as is shown at 32 in Figure 1. However, the upper portions of the crotch pieces are separable to define a fly opening.

Referring now to the form of the invention shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10, the main body of the undergarment comprises a section of tubular knitted material, shown at 12, having the top edge 30 and having the depending rear portion 33. Rear portion 33 has a horizontal intermediate edge portion 18" and the respective inclined side edge portions 19' and 20. The lower front edge of the section 12' comprises the arcuate intermediate portion 15 and the arcuate side edge portions 16 and 17. The crotch pieces are similar in shape to the crotch pieces 13 and 14, and one of the crotch pieces is shown at 35 in Figure 10. Each crotch piece 35 is formed with the straight horizontal bottom edge 36, the arcuately curved top edge portion 37 and the respective arcuate notches 38 and 39 at the side edges of the crotch pieces. The

amazes crotch pieces '35 are applied in reverse positions, one of the crotch pieces having its upper portion'displaced to the right and the other crotch piece having its upper portion displaced to the left of the center line of the front of the garment. connected respectively to the right and left hand portions of he arcuate intermediate lower front edge portion 15'.of the main body 12 in the same manner as described in connection with the previously disclosed embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 7. The straight lower edges .36 are :coextensively stitched ;to the straight rear lower edge portion 18' of the main body 12' and the :arcnate :edge portions 38 define leg openings wi h respect to the inclined depending side edge portions 19 and .20 of main body 12.

As shown in Figure 8, the inclined reinforcing strips 26 and 27 are employed in the same manner as in the form of the invention shown in Figure 1, and an aren ate reinforcing strip .28 is applied over the seam .connecting the edge elements 3.7 to the arcuate intermediate edge portion 15' of main body :12. Thus, a substan tially triangular, non-elastic section is provided at the front of the garment immediately above the crotch pieces 35.. As in the previously described form of the inverr tion. a waist band 29 is secured :to the top edge 30 of section .12 and respective reinforcing strips 25 are stitched around the leg openings. The arcuate edge portions 39 of the crotch pieces .35 are provided with the reinforcing strips .32, and the upper portions of the crotch pieces are separable, as in the previously described form of the invention, to define a fly opening.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that a garment has been provided, made of knitted material which will fit snugly by cling ng to the body and adjust itself to variations in body contours without the discomfort or annoyance associated with present garments of this type. The reinforcing strips 26 and 27 may be .of any. suitable, relatively inelastic construction, and may be, for example, of tape-like material made of knitted fabric having longitudinally extending ribs. The reinforcing strips may be attached to the (garments in any suitable manner, as by a three or four needle interlocking bottom stitch. The sewing in of the crotch pieces and the tape-like reinforcing strips may be performed in one operation, using a three or four needle interlocking bottom stitch, whereby a more durable seam is obtained than has been heretofore employed, said seam providing a flat, less bulky connection of the pieces having more resiliency than the usual type of scam used in the manufacture of undergarments of this type. While the strips 26 and 27 are relatively inelastic, said strips The areuate top edges 37 are,

3still are yieldable sufficiently to provide wearing comort.

While certain specific embodiments of an improved mens undergarment have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on -the -invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

An undergarment comprising a seamless tubular knitted main body having substantial elasticity transversely thereof but relatively little elasticity vertically thereof, a waist band secured to the top edge of said main "body, the lower front portion of said :main body being cut away, whereby the lower rear portion of said main body extends a substantial distance below the lower front edge of said main body, a first crotch piece connected at one end to the intermediate portion of the lower rear edge of said main body and at the other end to the intermediate portion of said lower front edge, a second crotch piece connected at one end to said lower rear edge and at the other end to the intermediate portion of the lower front edge, said crotch pieces being of knitted fabric material having substantial elasticity transversely thereof but relatively little elasticity vertically thereof, said crotch pieces overlapping fully at their connections to the lower rear edge of the main body but being displaced laterally relative to each other and only partially overlapping at their connections to the lower front edge of said main body, respective relatively inelastic flexible strips secured to the main body and connecting the lower front edge of said main body to the top edge thereof at the respective opposite sides of said crotch pieces, and a relatively inelastic flexible binding strip connecting the lower end portions of said first-named strips and secured over the top edges of said crotch pieces, the outer edges of said crotch pieces being arcuately curved and free of connection to the main body, whereby said outer edges of the crotch pieces cooperate with the lower .edge of the main body to form a leg opening.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,369,773 Brenner Feb, 20, 1945 2,438,310 Ashe et a1, Mar. 23, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 615,501 Great Britain Jan. 6, 1949 

